Nato attack: Possible action against those involved, says Pentagon
The spokesperson said that punishments will be handed out on the basis of the final inquiry report, adding that the report will determine whether the attack was a mistake on the part of NATO or ISAF forces.
Pentagon said that NATO and US forces in Afghanistan have been advised to improve cooperation with Pakistan.
Earlier the American military briefed Pakistan’s army chief on its investigation into US air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the Afghan border last month, officials said Tuesday.
A report by military investigators was delivered to General Ashfaq Kayani on Sunday by a US officer based in Islamabad, who explained the findings to the general, Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby told reporters.
“We wanted General Kayani to be able to see the entire thing,” he said. The approach represented “an appropriate professional courtesy” to Kayani, he added.
The US and Pakistan have since disagreed about the precise sequence of events in the deadliest single cross-border attack of the 10-year war in Afghanistan.
Pakistan denies shooting first, and accused the Americans of an intentional attack on its troops.
The US report provides more details on the November 25-26 air strikes that were a result of a series of mistakes and botched communications on both sides — reflecting an underlying mistrust between the two countries.
The air strikes have damaged the precarious US-Pakistani partnership and provoked outrage in Islamabad, which retaliated by cutting off NATO supply routes to Afghanistan and evacuation of the Shamsi airbase by US forces.
(Read: US military briefs General Kayani on Nato attack report)
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@Hasan Mehmood:
If this is how America has conducted its affairs since that nation was founded it is not arrogance? It is part of the legal culture. Every nation has its own set of laws and the citizens of a nation except to have those laws enforced fairly. They also expect protection from their government and also to be protected by their government. The laws in PAK and how they are enforced and the protections bestowed are very different than those of the US. Each nation has a separate legal framework for its military but the bases of that is also found in the national framework.
As you relate this to the NATO attack I am not sure any laws were broken as it directly relates to the attack. Those who actually fired the shots were acting under what they considered to be lawful orders. They were receiving fire and were returning fire. Had there been a clear understanding that the fire they were receiving was coming from a PAK position then I am sure the NATO forces would have ceased unless they felt they were in danger. This is known as the fog of war.
As to your reference of the rape incident, I am unaware of it. What I do know is if it happened then it was prosecuted under the Status of Forces Agreement in effect at the time. Most US SOF agreements outline what crimes will be prosecuted by the host nation and which will be reserved for the US. Even in the US if a military member commits a crime, the individual is not tried in civilian court unless the US government choses to wave its jurisdiction.
@Harry Stone: I stand by the basic spirit of my comments. The point you have not refuted is that AMERICANS NEVER EVER TRUST ANY SOVERIEGN OR BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL TRIBUNAL / LAW / AGENCY / COURT ETC FOR TRIAL OF THEIR FORCES. If thats not arrogance, what do you call it. Amazingly they feel no compulsion in catching their percieved criminals from any part of the world without due process of law for prosecution in USA. And I am not talking of Pakistan only. Of cource Israeil does it on a much grander scale.
Regarding acknowledgment of partial responsibility in NATO attack, I dont see even a transfer back home. FORGET ANY PUNISHMENT. As a side note there was a rape of local girl in some Philipine military base long time back and no action was taken unless the issue was blown nationwide. Yes I agree the American concept of Accountability is 100 times better than in a third world country like Pakistan. Only in USA a Vice Presidential canditate is forced to quit over an illicit affair ot tax evasion. However its an entirely different matter when a third party is involved. Please be a man enough to accept this cruel reality or simply invoke your Superpower status.
Regards and no hard feelings.
Note to Editor: You are morally obliged to post my rejoinder unless you consider the truth unpalatable w.r.t your editorial policy
@Harry Stone: I stand by the basic spirit of my comments. The point you have not refuted is that AMERICANS NEVER EVER TRUST ANY SOVERIEGN OR BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL TRIBUNAL / LAW / AGENCY / COURT ETC FOR TRIAL OF THEIR FORCES. If thats not arrogance, what do you call it.
Amazingly they feel no compulsion in catching their percieved criminals from any part of the world without due process of law for prosecution in USA. And I am not talking of Pakistan only. Of cource Israeil does it on a much grander scale.
Regarding acknowledgment of partial responsibility in NATO attack, I dont see even a transfer back home. FORGET ANY PUNISHMENT.
As a side note there was a rape of local girl in some Philipine military base long time back and no action was taken unless the issue was blown nationwide.
Yes I agree the American concept of Accountability is 100 times better than in a third world country like Pakistan. Only in USA a Vice Presidential candidate is forced to quit over a fleeting illicit affair or minor tax evasion.
However its an entirely different matter when a third party is involved. Please be a man enough to accept this cruel reality or simply invoke your Superpower status.
Regards and no hard feelings.
@Hasan Mehmood: Actually they do and have in this case. You seem to overlook that those who were involved in Abu Ghraib are currently in prison. While you might consider the sentences to be light proportionally they were more serve than the sentences handed down by ICC.
As to the comment of the ICC, for the US it is a matter of sovereignty which has not changed over time in their history. You probably are unaware that one of the fundamentals of a democracy is its constitution. The Americans take theirs very seriously. In the US the ICC is unconstitutional.
I realize this is very difficult to understand for someone in PAK
@Harry Stone:
My dear Harry: Which planet you are living on? Americans rarely if ever acknowledge the mistakes of their forces in a war theater unless forced by UNIVERSAL OUTRAGE like in Abu Ghraib Prison. Even then the punishments are relatively light.
Americans steadfastly refuse to subject their overseas forces to any nuetral / third party investigation and prosecution. They never ratified / accepted the International War Crimes Tribunal. They like Israelis consider them above all bilateral / international tribunals. Thats the main sticking point in Afghanistan and Iraq in post withdrawal scenario. They dont want their forces / instructors / whatever liable to local laws.
I am shocked at your ignorance.
@Chengez K: he is from ny country...India. Wants evedence?
Not USA, but We should trial NATO men. Period.
Action against the involved persons on Salala check post by US' officials!!!!!Wow what the funny,rubbish,hypocritical,nonsensical pretending and deceiving statement given by US' officials to pave the way of re-opening NATO's supply route from Pakistan.But US' officials keep it in your mind that Pakistani leaders especially military leadership have been waken up and no more easily can be fooled and deceived by your statements based on only falsehood,fabrication and hypocrisy.
Being an American of Pakistani heritage, I was sad to see this attack and am not happy about relations between both countries. I don't think the US would purposely attack Pakistan but it gave the US/NATO a black eye in Pakistani perception. Too many things can tell you this was not a Taliban position. Air assets that don't see comm antennas and built up forts on heights plainly not in Taliban tactics. But the fog of war is what it is. One thing Pakistan needs to understand is the nature of mutual respect... This wouldn't happen if your counterparts in the world didn't view your government as a broken nepotistic corrupt pseudo-democracy. All parties deal with the west for their own gain privately in exact opposites to the rigidity of the military. Pakistan with it's house in order can demand respect. Not with the joke it has made itself to the rest of the world. Zardari never commented on this attack nor any other violation the country feels it suffered.
Cautious is an Indian citizen, who works for RAW in cyber warfare program. His real name is Ajeet Malhotra, and he also comments with names like Mirza, Realist, Nadir etc etc..... and believe me I am serious......
The US report claims that there was a delay of almost an hour and a half between US personnel receiving calls from Pakistani calling for an end to US fire on Pakistani soldiers and positions, and the US personnel communicating the Pakistani demands and communication to higher level US officers who could have stopped the US attack on Pakistani forces.
The delay is inexplicable IMO - the only explanation is that the officials that received the Pakistani communication acted out of 'prejudice and hate' and delayed communicating the information regarding a 'friendly fire incident' to higher level officers in order to ensure that all Pakistani soldiers at the post were killed.
The US report does not (as far as I can tell) explain WHY there was a delay of an hour and a half in communicating the Pakistani request to higher level officials - the reasons need to be made public, and the guilty parties severely punished.
@Patriotic:
There is a well long established system of how these types of events are dealt with by the US and the US military. Unfortunately no such system exists within PAK.
While you might not like this or find it frustrating all the screaming by PAK will change nothing.
@saleem ullah: You and your ilk don't seem to care about our beloved 3000 soldiers killed by the Taliban. Were they not Pakistani and fighting to keep us free? Hypocrisy in our country knows no bound.
I think the US should end this charade. It is highly likely that they wanted a "graceful" exit so that they could focus on the rising menace of Al Qaeda in Africa. Now they can tell the US tax payers that their money will be best put to use by chasing Boku Haram (!!)...after all Nigeria has more oil than Afghanistan which is now tamed by drones anyways.
@Cautious:
Just for knowledge of Pakistanis could you please today finally reveal the country of your citizenship!!!
Warm Regards...
@Cautious:
Are you a Nato spokesman? Certainly more loyal than the king.
The USA position has remained consistent -- first investigate what happened -- why it happened - how to prevent it from happening again - and punish if the facts determine it's warranted.
Really.. ??? Same action which You had taken against Raymond Davis???
They better take action against the responsible.